It's game #52. The Flames are not learning anything new about Mike Smith, and they are not using this game as some sort of test of his ability to play in the playoffs. Mike Smith is starting this game because he is the backup goalie and the coaches believe he can win. That's it.
Bodog has the Caps as heavy favorites in this one at more than 2:1. I'd be tempted to throw a few bucks on the Flames with those odds if Smith wasn't starting, though I'm sure the odds would look a lot different if Rittch was in net
If this were true, you should be putting half of all of your money on Calgary, and the other half on Washington at every other book, which has Calgary as a favorite. You would be guaranteed a profit.
The odds have barely changed since morning practice.
Peters pretty much HAS to go with Smith -- he needs to know what he's got...and if he has nothing, Tre needs to be clear on that. So starting him in a tough game against a good opponent and after a long break seems like as good a time as any to put that to the test.
Go Flames Go!!
Trust the boys to protect the net, shake off the rust and put up a good game today. No Ovi should help. Looking forward to sucking back a cold bevvy or two with this one (4 o'clock in BC!!)
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Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda
Bodog has the Caps as heavy favorites in this one at more than 2:1. I'd be tempted to throw a few bucks on the Flames with those odds if Smith wasn't starting, though I'm sure the odds would look a lot different if Rittch was in net
last year Rittich collapsed after the break because he was not ready to be the guy. Simply put he was over whelmed.
I'm really sick of reading this narrative.
Last year after Smith went down
- The Flames got totally whallopped at Boston in all areas. Rittich didn't stand on his head but was solid. That was all we would have asked of Smith.
- The Flames dominated Nashville and Rittich was completely solid. Then he screwed his SV% for the game making a fancy pass down the middle of the ice, with a multi goal cushion that made it purely academic.
-The Panthers scored some goals on Rittich, most of which was atrocious coverage by Gio himself. Watch the goals, no goalie is pitching a shutout in that game. Loss.
-Rittich played the best game of his career at home VS Boston, and was the only reason they got a point. OTL
- Rittich played a legitimately bad game in Vegas against the Golden Knights. The kind of game every goalie is prone to once or twice a season. It was his first and worst game of his career. Loss, first one that was on him and not on the team in front since Smith went down.
- Then Rittich stood on his head for a period and a half against the Avalanche. Flames were playing awful and ultimately a penalty parade and some odd man rushes with perfect execution cost Rittich goals against. As with the Panthers game, Rittich was left out to dry. He did have a minor meltdown on his final goal against - the closest thing to your narrarive - but it was one bad foal after the team had completely let him down.
- then Gulutzan, genius that he was, decided that Rittich's losing streak was on Rittich because Gillies won a game against the Avs 4 nights earlier - a game the Flames played MUCH better defensively and the Avs played MICH worse overall. This got Gillies the next start, where he cost the team with soft goals. And then Gulutzan went to Gillies again in Pittsburgh, probably the best game TJ Brodie played in the 2017-18 season, which Gillies cost the team with multiple bad goals against - a game I firmly believe Rittich would have handily won.
- Rittich then won his next two starts over Buffalo and Ottawa with great SV%s in both, as the team's overall play was back to being competent. Rittich's two game win streak warranted a third game (and probably win) in a row but the next game Mike Smith returned and proceeded to cost the Flames a win with soft goals against New York - a game they should absolutely have won.
I'm sure Rittich probably did take some mental notes on how to handle being a starter, but that sequence of losses was a team meltdown, not a Rittich meltdown. He had one bad goaltending performance after Smith went down, Gillies got a few of the softer starts to pad his stats (Dallas was an offensively useless team last year too) and then the team was quick to pin losses on Rittich.
Even this year Rittich had a 4 game streak of starts without a win. He wasn't overwhelmed or not ready, the timing just worked out that way.
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- The Flames got totally whallopped at Boston in all areas. Rittich didn't stand on his head but was solid. That was all we would have asked of Smith.
- The Flames dominated Nashville and Rittich was completely solid. Then he screwed his SV% for the game making a fancy pass down the middle of the ice, with a multi goal cushion that made it purely academic.
-The Panthers scored some goals on Rittich, most of which was atrocious coverage by Gio himself. Watch the goals, no goalie is pitching a shutout in that game. Loss.
-Rittich played the best game of his career at home VS Boston, and was the only reason they got a point. OTL
- Rittich played a legitimately bad game in Vegas against the Golden Knights. The kind of game every goalie is prone to once or twice a season. It was his first and worst game of his career. Loss, first one that was on him and not on the team in front since Smith went down.
- Then Rittich stood on his head for a period and a half against the Avalanche. Flames were playing awful and ultimately a penalty parade and some odd man rushes with perfect execution cost Rittich goals against. As with the Panthers game, Rittich was left out to dry. He did have a minor meltdown on his final goal against - the closest thing to your narrarive - but it was one bad foal after the team had completely let him down.
- then Gulutzan, genius that he was, decided that Rittich's losing streak was on Rittich because Gillies won a game against the Avs 4 nights earlier - a game the Flames played MUCH better defensively and the Avs played MICH worse overall. This got Gillies the next start, where he cost the team with soft goals. And then Gulutzan went to Gillies again in Pittsburgh, probably the best game TJ Brodie played in the 2017-18 season, which Gillies cost the team with multiple bad goals against - a game I firmly believe Rittich would have handily won.
- Rittich then won his next two starts over Buffalo and Ottawa with great SV%s in both, as the team's overall play was back to being competent. Rittich's two game win streak warranted a third game (and probably win) in a row but the next game Mike Smith returned and proceeded to cost the Flames a win with soft goals against New York - a game they should absolutely have won.
I'm sure Rittich probably did take some mental notes on how to handle being a starter, but that sequence of losses was a team meltdown, not a Rittich meltdown. He had one bad goaltending performance after Smith went down, Gillies got a few of the softer starts to pad his stats (Dallas was an offensively useless team last year too) and then the team was quick to pin losses on Rittich.
Even this year Rittich had a 4 game streak of starts without a win. He wasn't overwhelmed or not ready, the timing just worked out that way.
I see your point, and obviously a goaltenders performance does not happen in a vacuum. The Flames were terrible, and completely fell apart, that was in no way Rittichs fault. I don't think that anyone pushing the narrative that Rittich is to blame for losing last year in February. All the same, results are that in 9 games last February he had a .873 Sv% and a 4.05 GAA. Sure lots of that was his teams fault, the Flames sucked last February. All the same, those numbers are awful.
Is it coincidental that he put of bad numbers at the same time that he was given the reigns? Who knows for sure, my assumption is that he did not step up to the challenge, ( forget where but there was an article written about the change in his personality during this period). What we do know is that if that happens again you can put a fork in the Flames championship hopes. So I return to my point ( which is purely speculation) that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
“I took the pressure on me,” said Rittich, who lost five of his first six starts after becoming the go-to guy. “I don’t want to do the same mistake this year. I’m just enjoying and having fun when I’m in the net.”
According to Sigalet, once Rittich was in the No. 1 chair, he altered his regimen and tightened up. He just wasn’t himself. “So it’s just staying on top of him to stay loose, stay calm – don’t change what’s given you success.”
Last edited by TheIronMaiden; 02-01-2019 at 12:29 PM.
I'm surprised at how many CPers are going to be at the game. I too will be there in an 04 Regehr home jersey. Hopefully they continue their excellent play from the first half of the season!
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I'm surprised at how many CPers are going to be at the game. I too will be there in an 04 Regehr home jersey. Hopefully they continue their excellent play from the first half of the season!
The only conclusion I can draw is that the deep state is dominated by Flames fans. I am comfortable with this.
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I think both suggestions are suspect, and stem from preconceptions about both goalies.
I don't know about that. It seems to me that the guys have stolen games back for Smith far more often then he has stolen a game for them. I would say that Rittich has stolen more games for the boys then Smith has. This is based strictly on my eye test so far this year, would love to know if anything supports or disproves that. We have to be past the "small sample size" portion of the year by now. Maybe a Talley of wins, being down after 2 periods? Definitely people on here that are more skilled with stats then I am that could suggest an appropriate comparison.
Also, not saying the boys start better in front of one versus the other, I just think that they have to turn it on at some point in front of Smith in order to secure the win. Maybe having to fire the afterburners in the first game back has them back to form by next game?
Im fine with Smith in net with another break after. Nothing wrong with extending Rittich's break a bit. He's going to have to be leaned on heavily for the rest of the way.
I don't understand the logic of starting your backup after a long break. Rittich will never be more rested than he is now and will likely need rest down the stretch.
I also don't buy the logic that you need to see what you have in Smith. That is as true, and even more so for Rittich.
But Peters has shown he sure knows what he's doing.
